Autonomous devices, systems, and methods for packing unfolded laundry articles

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods for autonomously packing unfolded laundry articles into a container are described. The system includes a container configured to receive the laundry articles, a movable surface for receiving the container, and at least one drive motor for imparting motion to the laundry articles in the container, including at least one of a shaking, twisting, vibrating, oscillating, shushling, and tilting. At least one sensor is configured to detect two or more container fill heights. A controller in communication with the at least one drive motor and the at least one sensor is configured to instruct the at least one drive motor to rotate at least one of a driven conveyor, driven pusher, and driven rollers and the container disposed thereon rapidly back and forth repeatedly until a maximum height variation in the two or more container fill heights falls within a threshold range.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An autonomously operating system for packing unfolded laundry articles, comprising:
 a container configured to receive a plurality of unfolded laundry articles;   a movable surface configured to receive the container thereon, the movable surface comprising at least one of a driven conveyor, driven pusher, and driven rollers;   at least one drive motor configured to impart motion to the received plurality of unfolded laundry articles disposed in the container, the at least one drive motor being configured rotate the at least one of the driven conveyor, driven pusher, and driven rollers;   at least one sensor configured to detect two or more container fill heights within the container; and   a controller in operable communication with the at least one drive motor and the at least one sensor, the controller being configured to instruct the at least one drive motor to rotate the at least one of the driven conveyor, driven pusher, and driven rollers and the container disposed thereon rapidly back and forth repeatedly until a maximum height variation in the two or more container fill heights falls within a threshold range, as detected by the at least one sensor.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 receive an output signal from the at least one sensor indicative of the two or more container fill heights along a top surface of the plurality of unfolded laundry articles,   analyze the received output signal to determine whether the two or more container fill heights detected along the top surface of the plurality of unfolded laundry articles comprise the maximum height variation within the threshold range, and   based on an analysis indicative of the maximum height variation being within the threshold range, instruct the at least one drive motor of the movable surface to transit the container to a packing station for receiving one or more folded laundry articles atop the plurality of unfolded laundry articles.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the container receives the plurality of unfolded laundry articles from an overhead bin tipper and funnel. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , further comprising a conveyor configured to transit a bin containing the plurality of unfolded laundry articles from an autonomous washing and drying machine to the bin tipper. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of unfolded laundry articles each measure no more than 15 cm in a shortest dimension. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of unfolded laundry articles each weigh no more than 0.25 kg. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the unfolded laundry articles comprise articles identified by a separating and sorting robot as being at least one of small and comprising a detected characteristic including at least one of stiffness, lacking symmetry, and being of an identified type of article not requiring folding comprising at least one of undergarments, socks, gloves, hats, swimwear, and baby clothes. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the threshold range comprises between about 0 cm to 10 cm. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising selectively extended and retracted barriers on either end of the movable surface, the barriers providing a hard stop for the container moving back and forth on the movable surface, wherein an actuator of the barriers is in operative communication with the controller. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one drive motor is configured for at least one of rotating, spinning, tilting, shaking, vibrating, oscillating, and shushling of the movable surface. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one drive motor further comprises at least one of a motor driven cam and follower configured to raise and lower one end of the container, a rotational motor configured to spin the movable surface about a vertical axis, an oscillation motor configured to oscillate the movable surface, a shake table configure to shake the container, and a vibrational motor configured to vibrate the movable surface. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein two or more of the at least one drive motor are synchronously actuated for shushling the container. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of a 3-D camera, an IR sensor, a 2-D camera, LIDAR, LADAR, a sonar proximity sensor, an ultrasonic ranging sensor, a radar sensor, a laser measuring device, and a pair of stereo depth cameras.